First week in CVOR AND passed my boards!!

This has been probably the best week of my LIFE. I started off in the CVOR on Monday, Wednesday I took my boards with my best buddy...Thursday we both found out we passed and then went back to work Thursday as an RN!

Because of the awesome advice I got from the seasoned nurses here on AllNurses, I knew not to get overwhelmed, but I have to tell you, it was hard to do. Going into open heart surgery with no OR experience at all, was a big culture shock coming from the floor. However I have to say that the whole team is so friendly and welcoming that it made up for the fact that I was a fish out of H20! Not only am I being exposed to instruments, new nursing duties, paperwork, sterile technique (who would of thought that opening and placing an item on the sterile field would take so much THOUGHT!?) I also have to learn the nicknames too! "Bulldogs, mosquitos, warm, cold" etc. etc!!!!

All in all though, I am VERY happy my husband and I made the decision to stay in FL for now, to pursue this dream of mine. My only fear is that I will love it so much that I won't want to move to CO because I won't want to lose this awesome team of people. Of course, this could just be a "honeymoon" period that I'm feeling right now...and eventually I will be proficient at this job and it won't be a challenge anymore...but I really feel that have found where I want to be for a very long (if not retirement) time.

Sigh...for now I will just take it one day at a time, enjoy this new life of mine (try to forget that I hate this town) and dive in head first!

When your looking for a job in CO give me a hollar/PM. Denver has lots of hospitals and I got a job at a hospital down there before I decided to live in the mtns instead, it was in a CVOR/CTOR. Im in the MTNS now though, not denver. I did hearts for a few years. It was great experience because once you do some emergency hearts/traumas you will never be stressed out doing fractures or general surgery..... I live a pretty chill live now....

Jun 8, '12

Congrats, Choc-nurse and thanks for posting your good news. Good for you for following your ambition to work in the OR. I'm in FL too, a travel position in the OR. I love it here! Live/work near Clearwater and have housing on the Gulf!

Jun 9, '12

Quote from nursinadream

Congrats, Choc-nurse and thanks for posting your good news. Good for you for following your ambition to work in the OR. I'm in FL too, a travel position in the OR. I love it here! Live/work near Clearwater and have housing on the Gulf!

That's awesome! Yes, Clearwater is a beautiful area! I'm north by a little town called Mt. Dora. It's nice but just wanting something new. For now we'll make the best of it and it helps a LOT that I love my job lol.

Jun 9, '12

Thanks Argo, that is awesome for you to offer a connection for me We like CO Springs area, but honestly would probably go anywhere in CO to get us started. That won't be for another 3 years or so, but I'm here a lot so we'll keep in touch!

Thanks again!

Jun 13, '12

Congrats, ChocoholicNurse!! I'm in FL too and I love it. I grew up in MD so I'm not a big fan of the cold! You will find plenty of CVOR jobs in FL. Good luck!